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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao argue: Is it 2011?

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Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao announced on Monday that their fight will take place on September 19 at the Sphere event in Las Vegas, which will be broadcast worldwide on Netflix.

That would be amazing…in 2011.

Instead, we get what looks like a cash grab built on nostalgia – mostly for something that never was. This is equal parts depressing and telling about the state of boxing, including the fact that even after two opulent and illustrious careers, both fighters are clearly in dire need of money.

Mayweather is 49 years antique; Pacquiao, 47. A decade and a half ago, at their peak, they should have had two or three fights, creating a series or trilogy for the history books; two of the greatest fighters in history will step into the ring to honor the greatest fighter of his generation.

Pacquiao’s offensive tenacity against Mayweather’s defensive genius. It could have been Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier stuff.

Boxing fans salivated, debated it endlessly, and begged for it to happen. Instead, a combination of politics, caution, recriminations, and who knows what else stopped it from happening in 2010-2012.

They finally met in 2015, when Mayweather defeated Pacquiao by unanimous decision in a mostly listless fight. It set box office records due to pent-up demand, even though Pacquiao had already begun to fade significantly.

Now we have a sequel to a bad movie. It’s not even “Caddyshack II.” At least the original was a classic.

“Floyd and I gave the world the greatest fight in boxing history,” Pacquiao said in a statement on Monday. “The fans have waited long enough – they deserve this rematch.”

“Biggest” in terms of suckers spending money on what they hoped to see, not what they did. As for boxing fans, they don’t do it – haven’t they suffered enough? Few, if any, asked to escape.

The first fight grossed at least around $400 million, but despite that payday and all the other fights in their careers, both fighters are still struggling. Mayweather made about $1 billion in his career, but it happened reportedly sued earlier this month by a Miami jeweler for bouncing checks in an alleged $1.675 million shopping spree (15 gold watches, 26 luxury watches).

This is the likely motivation not only for this fight, but for the even more farcical exhibition match on April 25 against 59-year-old Mike Tyson, which will reportedly take place in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Mayweather doesn’t need 26 Rolexes to know time is running out.

At its best, there is nothing like a great fight for rewards, waiting, danger and build-up. It is original and has captivated audiences for centuries.

But the sport has become mired in make-believe, too few breakout stars, too few real fights. This has led to too many circus acts masquerading as real shows that sell the illusion but fizzle out when the bell rings.

There are still moments, but the best current fighters in the world are having a difficult time breaking through, at least in the United States.

Oleksandr Usyk, the undefeated heavyweight champion and the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world according to ESPN, remains largely unknown outside of boxing, with his fights mostly taking place in Europe and Saudi Arabia. No. 2 Naoya Inoue is a whirlwind of junior featherweights – and a four-division champion – but suffers the same fate, competing mostly outside Japan, where he is one of the country’s most popular athletes. Terence “Bud” Crawford has retired. Canelo Alvarez is at the end of his career. If anything, it’s the women’s game with Claressa Shields, Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano all doing well.

In the US, Jake Paul has smartly stepped into the void, serving the gigantic fight market – and even risking his jaw to do so. For all its commercial success and the much-needed attention it brings, it’s not top-level boxing.

The popularity of combat sports has always depended on the ups and downs of great stars and great personalities. Boxing has experienced droughts before, but there is always the belief that a up-to-date wave of talent, charisma and competition will come. Recently, however, the decline has been more pronounced. The mechanisms that make fighters widely known have weakened. Alternative entertainment options have multiplied.

The worst thing about Mayweather-Pacquiao 2 isn’t that it’s happening, but that it could happen because there aren’t enough compelling fights or must-see fighters that the market is ready for that is such a shameless spectacle.

The point is that sport cannot provide Sfera and Netflix with something real.

Instead, we get the sequel no one asked for, born from the belated original, starring two middle-aged men who have clearly squandered enough of their wealth that, like the sport they once dominated, have no other option.

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Boxing

Eddie Hearn questions Dana White’s boxing future

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Image: Eddie Hearn Questions Whether Dana White Can Handle Boxing

“I just don’t think they’re going to face the fire,” Hearn told iFL TV about Dana White and his company at Zuffa.

“You have years of catching, putting out fires and being bombarded with pellets and grenades to overcome this.

“I just don’t think they’ll be ready for the fire. You must be a little unwell.” [__] to do this. That’s what I do.”

Hearn also ridiculed White’s recent comments about boxing promotion and said the UFC president faces criticism now that he is in the boxing industry.

“He stank,” Hearn said.

“He’s not used to this. Don’t forget what we do, which is meeting people, giving interviews. But he had a narrative.

“He didn’t have anyone like that. That’s why he can’t do it and instead just says weird lyrics.”

Hearn later joked that White’s repeated comments about him actually helped escalate his visibility in the United States.

“I have to thank Dana White,” Hearn said.

“Every press conference he holds, he talks about me.

“I think there are people asking, ‘Who is this Eddie Hearn?’ Little Google, boss, Eddie Hearn.

Promoter Matchroom also rejected White’s recent claim that no promoter has staged more boxing events this year than Zuffa Boxing.

“The entire media audience responded, ‘Okay,’ and moved on to the next question,” Hearn said.

“Imagine if I said that. I would be fried by it in an instant.”

Hearn’s latest comments come as Zuffa Boxing continues to try to establish itself in the sport following months of public photos between White and several longtime boxing promoters.

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Boxing

Roy Jones Jr Says There’s ‘Only One Fight Ahead’ for David Benavidez: ‘You’ll Beat Everyone’

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Roy Jones Jr says there is ‘only one fight’ for David Benavidez next: “You beat everyone else”

Roy Jones Jr urged David Benavidez to follow in his footsteps rather than fight Dmitry Bivol in an undisputed lithe heavyweight clash.

The “Mexican Monster” appears the sixth round ended with a victory over Gilberto Ramirezwhom he dethroned earlier this month to become three-division world champion.

However, despite winning the WBO and WBA cruiserweight titles, Benavidez expressed interest in returning to 175 pounds, where he still holds the WBC belt.

That would mean chasing unified champion Bivol, who must first defeat IBF mandatory challenger Michael Eifert on May 30.

The Russian hasn’t fought since he overtook Artur Beterbiev in February 2025, when he exacted revenge by majority decision and became the undisputed king.

Bivol then vacated the WBC title after deciding to undergo back surgery, which allowed Benavidez to be promoted from “interim” to full champion.

But rather than return to lithe heavyweight, Jones would prefer to see Benavidez test his skills at heavyweight, as he did against John Ruiz in 2003.

In a conversation with professional boxing fans, the pound-for-pound legend said that a fight with Oleksandr Usyk, who still holds the WBC, IBF and WBA titles, is the only fight that makes sense for him.

“This is the only fight for him right now and the only fight I want to see him in.

“You beat everyone in every other category, [so] go upstairs and fight Usyk. This is the best fight for him.”

While Benavidez has expressed a desire to challenge Usyk at heavyweight, he has said he won’t be ramping up his weight gain anytime soon and is therefore much more likely to receive his next assignment against Bivol.

It then remains to be seen whether Usyk will stay in the sport long enough to face the 29-year-old, which could end up fighting another heavyweight champion.

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Keyshawn Davis missed weight again for the rematch

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Image: Keyshawn Davis Misses Weight Again Ahead Of Nahir Albright Rematch

The weigh-ins quickly turned tense when Albright apparently sent a message directly to Davis during their bout.

“Be a professional,” Albright said in a recording later released by DAZN Boxing.

The lack of weight immediately sparked a backlash online, as Davis has dealt with weight issues before. Last year, Davis lost his WBO lightweight title after losing more than four pounds ahead of his scheduled defense against Edwin De Los Santos.

Friday also marked the second time Davis has failed to make weight in his last three fights.

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum admitted that Davis was having difficulty gaining 140 pounds and suggested that the problem may still exist.

“Well, obviously he has issues at 140,” Arum told Fighthype. “The problem is the next category is seven pounds. That’s a gigantic difference.”

Arum also compared Friday’s setback to the loss of Davis, who was previously more than four pounds compact before his canceled fight with De Los Santos last year.

“It was inexcusable because he was five pounds overweight,” Arum said.

“He is now 0.1 weight off which he will improve and get down to 140 or less.”

Keyshawn was later asked by DAZN what he told Albright during Friday’s matchup.

“I didn’t say anything,” Davis said. “That’s what I do. I knock people out.”

When asked what kind of performance he expected in the rematch, Keyshawn gave a compact answer.

“An unexpected spectacle.”

There was already bad blood in the rematch after their first fight in October 2023 was later changed to a no-contest after Keyshawn tested positive for marijuana. Their original meeting initially resulted in Keyshawn winning by a majority vote.

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